Shot container



June 23, .1970 LATHROPE ET AL 3,516,360

SHOT CONTAINER Filed March 2'7, 1968 INVENTORS GERALD A./ A THROPE REUEL E. T'HOMPSOA WA Y/VE 5. IVES BY WM w. 2M4

ATTORNEY United States Patent Qfice 3,516,360 Patented June 23, 1970 3,516,360 SHOT CONTAINER Gerald A. Lathrope, Cheshire, Reuel E. Thompson, East Haven, and Wayne S. Ives, Guilford, Cnn., assignors to Olin Mathieson Chemical Corporation, a corporation of Virginia Filed Mar. 27, 1968, Ser. No. 716,530 Int. Cl. F42b 7/08 US. Cl. 10295 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A shot container for use in a shotshell, or the like, adapted to provide for controlled release of the shot at a predetermined distance from a gun muzzle to control the range and pattern of the shot.

This invention relates to a container for receiving and retaining a quantity of shot pellets to be fired from a shotgun. The container is of the type adapted to provide for delayed release of the shot pellets at some point substantially remote from the firearm. Such delayed release results in a more dense shot cloud on the target, and a shot cloud wherein the individual shot pellets have a higher kinetic energy than if launched with an ordinary shot shell.

When a load of shot is discharged from a shotgun in the ordinary manner, the individual pellets are immediately subjected to aerodynamic forces which cause them to disperse and to lose their velocity and energy rapidly. Thus in conventional shot shell systems, there is a maximum range at which the shot cloud is still dense enough to insure a good probability of hitting a target. There is also a maximum range where the individual pellets still have sufficient kinetic energy to give an acceptably high probability of killing the target.

It is known in the prior art that one way to increase both the maximum cloud density range and the maximum kinetic energy range of a shot charge is to package the shot pellets in a pouch which is fired from the shotgun muzzle along with the pellets. The pellets remain in the pouch for a period of time after leaving the gun muzzle after which they are released from the pouch to continue on toward the target. The delayed release of the pellets results in a more dense shot cloud on the target since air resistance has had less time to disperse the pellets than had they been fired from the gun in the normal manner. Furthermore, the aerodynamic efficiency of the pouch is greater than that of an individual pellet, thus the pellets retain more kinetic energy than they would were they fired in the ordinary manner. After the pellets are released from the pouch, the latter falls to the ground. Typical examples of the prior art pouches of this general type are those disclosed in US. Pats. 148,467 (1874) and 3,179,051.

Since the pouches of this general type are usually nonspinning projectiles during flight, the prior are pouches have proven to be unstable in flight. This in-flight instability results in an inability to control the attitude of the exit means, or end, of the pouch, thereby causing erratic and misdirected release of the shot pellets. The end result of the in-flight instability of the prior art pouches is that the shot pattern will be concentrated in an unpredictable area which is generally oif-center of the target.

A second problem area present in the pouches of the prior art concerns the means utilized to release the shot from the pouch. In order to obtain maximum effectiveness of shot cloud density and individual pellet kinetic energy, the point in flight at which the majority of the pellets are released from the pouch must be closely controlled and is critical. Many of the shot pouches of the prior art utilize an orifice in one end of the pouch as the release means on the pouch. The size of the exit orifice will determine the point of release of the pellets for a given pellet size and air resistance with an earlier release being achieved as the exit orifice increases in size. Experimentation has shown that as soon as the pouch leaves the gun muzzle, the shot pellets will immediately begin to pass out through the exit orifice until, at some predetermined point, the great majority of pellets will exit through the orifice.

It is thus apparent that when an orifice alone is used as the exit means on the shot pouch, the shot pellets will be undesirably strung out as they leave the pouch until a majority of them pass out of the pouch through the orifice.

Due to efiicient manufacturing processes, plastic is a perferred material from which the pouches are fabricated. The use of plastic for such pouches may produce an undesirable inability to reasonably control the point at which the pellets are launched from the pouch. There is an optimum point after the container and pellets are fired from the gun at which the pellets should be released from the pouch. Release which occurs too soon before this optimum point results in a widely scattered shot cloud having low kinetic energy. A late release is also undesirable as it results in reduced shot dispersion and increases the probability that the pellets and pouch will impact the target as a unit. The rigidity, or lack thereof, of the pouch material may control the point at which the pellets are released from the pouch, since the pouch is often deformed to effect release of the pellets. When plastic is used to fabricate the pouch, or at least the release mechanism on the pouch, the rigidity of the plastic will vary with fluctuations in temperature, the pouch being more flexible at higher temperatures, and more rigid at lower temperatures. When deformation of the pouch or the release means occurs upon release, the force necessary to release the pellets from a comparatively flexible pouch is lower than the force necessary to release the pellets from a comparatively rigid pouch. Thus the release mechanism on a plastic pouch may operate with optimum efficiency and give a dependable point of release only at ambient temperatures, with variations of more than about i5 F. resulting in an undesirable alteration of the release characteristics of the pouch.

The phrase aerodynamic drag, as used in this specification, refers to the air resistance of the carrier in flight, and this aerodynamic drag causes the force which drives the pellet charge forward and out of the pouch. More specifically, the pouch and the enclosed shot charge are propelled from the gun at the same initial velocity. The aerodynamic drag causes the pouch to decelerate, but does not decelerate the shot pellets. Thus a difference in the velocities of the pouch and the enclosed pellets is established. This velocity difference increases as the pouch slows down with the result that ideally when the velocity difference exceeds a critical value, the shot actuates the release means and passes out of the pouch. Thus for a plastic pouch having a constant aerodynamic drag, release will occur sooner at higher temperatures than it will at lower temperatures due to the above-noted fluctuations in the rigidity of the release mechanism of the pouch. The pouches of the prior art are all designed to produce an aerodynamic drag which is constant, regardless of temperature, thus the plastic pouches of the prior art display undesirable variation of the point of release when exposed to moderate variation of the operating temperature.

The shot container of this invention is aerodynamically stable while at the same time being a non-spinning projectile. Aerodynamic stability is accomplished by locating the aerodynamic center of pressure, that is to say, the point upon which the aerodynamic drag is focused, to the rear of the mass center of gravity. The degree of aerodynamic stability is increased by increasing the distance between the centers of pressure and gravity. By suitable design of the container of this invention with specific reference to the configuration of its aft end, the aerodynamic center of pressure is placed completely behind the shot charge-containing pouch and very near the end of the carrier itself. The center of gravity, on the other hand, remains almost coincident with the center of gravity of the shot charge by virtue of the fact that the carrier is fabricated from a material which is much less dense than the shot and adds only a small fraction to the total weight of the system. The braking structure of the container of this invention, which determines the location of the aerodynamic center of pressure and which provides resistance to air in flight, serves the further purpose of functioning as a wad structure when the shotgun is fired.

In order to overcome the second problem noted above regarding the use of an orifice as an exit mechanism, I prefer to utilize a plurality of radial slits through the top end wall of the pouch, which slits define a number of adjacent flexible tabs. The tabs initially serve to close the top end wall of the pouch of this invention, but are bent upwardly and outwardly by the enclosed shot pellets after aerodynamic drag has begun to decelerate the pouch. A small aperture is preferably disposed in the center of the top end wall of the pouch to permit the entrance of air into the pouch when the latter is in flight, which admitted air provides resistance at the bottom end wall of the pouch to aid in decelerating the latter.

In order to counteract the temperature-induced variations noted above for a plastic exit mechanism, a preferred embodiment of this invention may also include auxiliary braking means which serve to vary the total aerodynamic drag acting upon the container as a function of the temperature of the environment in which the container is fired. The auxiliary braking means are in the form of plastic petals which are disposed contiguous with the outside surface of the shot pouch portion of the container. The petals are so formed that they are peeled back away from the pouch by air resistance in flight, thereby increasing the total aerodynamic drag of the container. The petals, being plastic, are more rigid at colder temperatures and more flexible at warmer temperatures. Thus at colder temperatures the petals contribute more to the total aerodynamic drag than they do at warmer temperatures, with the result that the total aerodynamic drag acting upon the container of this invention is greater at colder temperatures than it is at warmer temperaures.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a shot container of the character described which is an aerodynamically stable, non-spinning projectile.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a shot container of the character described having means to insure a reasonably predictable point of delay launch regardless of temperature variations of the environment in which the container is launched.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a shot container of the character described having a shot release mechanism which minimizes premature in-flight discharge of the shot.

It is yet another object of this invention to provide a shot container of the character described wherein an integral wad structure provides means for establishing an aerodynamic center of pressure at a point to the rear of the mass center of gravity of the container.

Other features, objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description and accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a cut away view of an embodiment of the shot 4 container of this invention disposed in a cartridge casing;

FIG. 2 is a top end view of the shot container of FIG. 1 showing the shot releasing means formed in the top end wall of the pouch;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the shot container of FIG. 1 after it has been propelled from a shotgun, showing the action of the petals and shot releasing means;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of another embodiment of the shot container of this invention; and

FIG. 5 is a side view of the shot container of FIG. 4, after it has been launched from a shotgun, showing the shot release mechanism.

Referring now to FIG. 1, the shot container of this invention, denoted generally by the numeral 2, is shown disposed in a shotgun cartridge 3. It is noted that while a particular type of cartridge is shown, the shot container of this invention may be used with any of a large variety of shotgun or other cartridges. The container 2 includes a pouch 4 having an annular side wall 6, a bottom end wall 8, and a top end wall 10, which together define a chamber 12 for the reception of a plurality of shot pellets 13. A frangible disk 11 or enfolded crimp closure (not shown) is disposed in the upper end of the cartridge 3 to overlie the top end wall 10 of the pouch in a known manner. A cupwad member 14 is spaced apart from the bottom end wall 8 of the pouch to define a free space 16 therebetween. The bottom wall of the wad 14 is recessed, as at 18, to overlie and seal the propellant charge 20 in the cartridge 3.

A plurality of spaced-apart strips 22 of plastic extend across the free space 16 and are integral with the wad 14 and the pouch 4 to interconnect opposed peripheral points on the two. The strips 22 are substantially rigid and are provided with hinge means 24 to permit some flexing of the strips 22 when the propellant charge 14 is ignited and the shotgun is fired. The strips 22 thus serve to cushion the pouch 4 when the cartridge is fired, and furthermore, the comparative rigidity of the strips 22 prevents the wad 14 from fishtailing with respect to the pouch 4 when the container 2 is in flight, thus contributing to the aerodynamic stability of the container. Particular details of the strips 22 and wad structure are more thoroughly set forth in U.S. Pat. 3,285,174.

A plastic sheath 24 is disposed contiguous with the outside surface of the pouch 4 and is joined to that portion of the pouch side wall 6 adjacent the pouch bottom wall 8. The sheath 24 may be co-molded with the pouch 4, or may be joined to the pouch by heat sealing or by a suitably applied adhesive. A plurality of longitudinal slits 26 extend from the top edge of the sheath 24 to a plane spaced apart from the bottom edge of the sheath 22, the slits 26 defining a number of adjacent plastic petals 28 having free top edges 30 and free side edges delineated by the slits 26. The function of the petals 28 is set forth hereinafter. It is to be understood that the petals 28 need not be formed as part of a continuous sheath, but that the petals can be separate members which are attached to the pouch at their bottom edges so as to provide the petals with free top and side edges.

FIG. 2 is a top view of the shot container portion 2 of FIG. 1. The pouch top end wall 10 includes a plurality of radial slits 31 therethrough defining a number of adjacent flexible tabs 32. The slits 31 may extend into the side wall 6 of the pouch 4 as at 31' (see FIG. 1). The top end wall also includes a centrally located aperture 34 communicating with the slits 31 which aperture 34 is of comparatively restricted size so as to prevent the enclosed shot 13 from passing therethrough in any great number. The aperture 34 and the flexible tabs 32 combine to delineate a variable area exit orifice through which the pellets are released from the pouch when the package is in flight, as is more clearly shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 3 shows the container after the latter has been propelled from the muzzle of a shotgun 36 (only partially shown). As the container travels through the air,

an aerodynamic center of pressure is established acting against the top surface 36 of the cup wad 14 by air entrained in the free space 16 between the wad 14 and the pouch 4. Furthermore, air resistance acting upon the petals 28 causes them to peel back from the pouch 4, as shown in FIG. 3, with the air resistance of the petals 28 adding to the total aerodynamic drag acting on the container. When the total areodynamic drag reaches a predetermined value, the momentum of the enclosed pellets 13 will cause them to move forward with respect to the container and they will try to pass through the aperture 34 in the pouch top end wall 10. As the pellets 13 move through the aperture 34, the pellets force the tabs 32 to flex outwardly, as shown in FIG. 3, thereby increasing the effective size of the exit orifice on the pouch until a predetermined preferred orifice size is reached through which all of the pellets 13 can escape. It is thus apparent that the point at which the preferred exit orifice size is reached depends on the flexibility of the tabs 32. It is also noted that when the slits 31 extend into the side wall 6 of the pouch, the tabs 32 are bent forwardly and outwardly instead of just forwardly. Thus the extension of the slits 31 into the pouch side wall as at 31' lowers the quantum of force required to bend the tabs 32 than would be otherwise necessary were the slits 31 extended merely to the periphery of the pouch top end wall 10.

As previously noted for a plastic pouch, when the temperature at which the shotgun is fired is comparatively low, e.g., more than about 5 F. below ambient temperature, the force required to bend the tabs'32 to a position comparable to that shown in FIG. 3 will be more than is necessary at ambient temperature because of the increased rigidity of the tabs 32. At the same time the rigidity of the petals 28 will also increase at lower temperatures, thus the petals will be peeled back to ap proximately the position 28' as shown in FIG. 3, and will provide greater air resistance in the position 28', thereby increasing the total aerodynamic drag acting on the container 2. By the same token, the amount of force required to bend the tabs 32 to the position shown in FIG. 3 will be lower at temperatures of more than about 5 F. above ambient temperature due to increased flexi- -bility of the plastic tabs at higher temperatures. In order to prevent premature release of the shot pellets at higher temperatures, the total aerodynamic drag acting upon the container must be lowered. Since the flexibility of the petals increases at higher temperatures, the petals 28 will be peeled back to approximately the position 28" shown in FIG. 3, at which position the petals offer less resistance to air, thereby lowering the total aerodynamic drag acting upon the container.

Referring now to FIG. 4, an embodiment of the container of this invention is shown which does not include the plastic petals. The container is otherwise structurally the same as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, having an annular side wall 106, a bottom end wall 108 and a top end wall 110 to define a pouch portion to receive a charge of shot pellets (not shown). The container also includes a cup wad 114 connected to the shot pouch by a plu rality of substantially rigid strips 122. The top end wall 110 of the pouch includes a plurality of radial slits 131 defining a number of adjacent tabs 132. A centrally located restricted aperture 134 is disposed in the top end wall 110. The embodiment shown in FIG. 4 may be made of paper, rubber, or any flexible substance, any may even be made of plastic. If this embodiment is made of plastic, however, it is preferable to restrict its use to environments of substantially ambient temperature. Of course, a particular plastic container could be adapted for use in above or below ambient temperatures by varying the thickness of the wall portion of the tabs 132 thereby varying their flexibility. Thus one could produce an ambient temperature shot container, a hot weather shot container, and a cold weather shot container, all having the same 6 basic configuration of FIG. 4, but with different wall thickness.

FIG. 5 shows the container of FIG. 4 in flight after having been fired from a shotgun 136 (only partially shown). Air resistance acts against the surface 136 on the cup wad to provide aerodynamic drag on the container, thus creating the force by which the shot pellets 113 are able to bend the tabs 132 forward and outward to cause release of the pellets 113 from the pouch.

The shot container of this invention thus provides means for the delayed launch of a quantity of shot pellets thereby increasing the density of the shot cloud and the kinetic energy of the individual shot pellets at the target. The shot container is stable in flight while at the same time being a non-spinning projectile. The inflight stability of the container of this invention results in control of the attitude of the shot release mechanism in flight thereby eliminating the heretofore existing tendency of the containers releasing the shot in a direction which is 011- center of the target. Means are also provided for controlling the shot release point regardless of temperature variations thereby providing substantially constant shot cloud density and pellet kinetic energy at the target over a greater span of temperature-weather conditions.

What is claimed is:

1. In a shot container for use with a firearm cartridge having a propellant charge, wherein the container is propelled from the muzzle of a gun upon combustion of the propellant charge, the improvement comprising:

(a) a plastic pouch having a side wall, a closed bottom end wall, and a flexible plastic top end wall defining a chamber to receive a quantity of shot pellets;

(b) exit means including an opening formed in said top end wall operative to provide a delayed release of the shot pellets from said pouch at a predetermined point after said container is propelled from the gun muzzle; and

(c) a plurality of flexible plastic petals outwardly contiguous with said pouch side wall, said petals each being joined to said pouch and having a free top edge and free side edges whereby said petals are peeled outwardly away from said pouch by air pressure after said container is propelled from the gun muzzle to provide a braking of said container in flight thereby initiating the release of the shot pellets from said container.

2. The shot container of claim 1, wherein said flexible plastic petals are defined by an annular plastic sheath joined to said pouch side wall, said sheath having a free top edge and a plurality of generally longitudinally extending slits forming said free side edges on said petals.

3. The shot container of claim 1, wherein said exit means comprises a number of radially extending slits through said top end wall to combine with said opening to define a plurality of adjacent flexible tabs delineating a variable area exit opening from said chamber.

4. In a shot container and wad for use with a firearm cartridge having a propellant charge, wherein the container and wad are propelled from the muzzle of a gun upon combustion of the propellant charge, the improvement comprising:

(a) a plastic pouch having an annular side wall, a

closed bottom end wall secured to said side wall, and a flexible top end wall, said pouch defining a chamber to receive a quantity of projectiles;

(b) a cup-shaped wad member spaced apart from said pouch bottom wall to define a free space therebetween, said wad being adapted to overlie the propellant charge, and said wad further providing resistance to air entrained in said free space after the shot container and wad are propelled from the gun muzzle, thereby contributing to braking of the shot container in flight;

(c) a plurality of substantially rigid, spaced-apart strips extending across said free space between opposed 7 faces on said wad and said pouch, said strips cushioning said pouch after ignition of the propellant charge and further providing aerodynamic stability for said wad and said pouch in flight;

(d) said pouch top Wall having a number of radial slits therethrough defining a plurality of adjacent flexible tabs, and said top end wall further including a centrally disposed opening therethrough to permit air to enter said pouch in flight and impinge said bottom end wall, said tabs and said opening forming a variable area exit orifice operative to provide delayed in-flight discharge of the projectiles from said chamber; and

(e) a plurality of flexible plastic petals outwardly contiguous with said pouch side wall, said petals each being joined to said pouch and having a free top edge and free side edges whereby said petals are pulled outwardly away from said pouch by air pressure after said container and wad are propelled from the gun muzzle to provide further braking of said container in flight.

5. The shot container of claim 4, wherein said flexible plastic petals are defined by an annular plastic sheath joined to said pouch side wall, said sheath having a free top edge and a plurality of generally longitudinally ex- 25 tending slits forming said free side edges on said petals.

6. In a shot container for use with a firearm cartridge, the improvement comprising:

(a) a plastic pouch having a side wall, a closed bottom end wall, and a flexible top end wall defining a chamber to receive a quantity of shot pellets;

(b) exit means formed in said top end wall operative to provide a delayed release of the shot pellets from said chamber at a predetermined remote point after the container is propelled from a gun muzzle; and

(c) braking means secured to said pouch, said braking References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,759,420 8/ 1956 Schultz. 3,227,085 1/ 1966 Rarner. 3,285,174 11/1966 Moehlman et al. 3,313,235 4/1967 Middleton.

ROBERT F. STAHL,

Primary Examiner 

